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Here’s an early look at the N.L. Only 2011 Shortstop rankings..
1. Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies: It’s really a toss-up between Tulo and HanRam. They are both five category players. I prefer Tulo because of his ballpark and lineup..
2. Hanley Ramirez,Florida Marlins: Han-Ram is 1-A. He should post a higher SB total than Tulo, but fewer HRs and RBIs. You can’t go wrong either way. I just fear that he won’t see as many good pitches without a strong supporting cast..
3. Jose Reyes,New York Mets: Reyes wasn’t the superstar he used to be posting a .282-83-11-54-30 line, but that’s not the important part. He stayed healthy. A year later I expect him to take another step forward, especially if the Mets’ lineup featuring Reyes, David Wright, Carlos Beltran, Jason Bay, Angel Pagan, and Ike Davis can avoid the injury bug..
4. Jimmy Rollins,Philadelphia Phillies: You know the National League is deep at shortstop when the fourth ranked SS could be #1 in the American League. J-Roll dealt with injuries last year, but I believe he still has what it takes to be an elite fantasy shortstop..
5. Stephen Drew, Arizona Diamondbacks: Drew has fourth straight seasons with at least 60 RBIs. He also hit .278 with 83 runs, 15 HRs, and a career high ten SBs. He finished strong hitting .300 with 38 runs, 11 HRs, 30 RBIs, and 4 SBs in 217 at bats from August-October. The youngsters will press him for the top five, but for know it’s his spot to lose..
6. Ian Desmond, Washington Nationals: Desmond’s was a model of consistency as he went .255-31-6-36-8 in his 271 first half ABs and .283-28-4-29-9 in his 254 second half ABs. He’s clearly a cut below the top five, but remains a solid option this year..
7. Starlin Castro, Chicago Cubs: Castro is another youngster that posted a solid rookie season, as he hit .300. He only scored 53 runs in 125 games though, and was thrown out (eight) nearly as many times as he was successful (ten) stealing bases..
8. Rafael Furcal, Los Angeles Dodgers: Furcal is great when he is in the lineup. He provides a spark for the Dodgers and his fantasy teams alike. Unfortunately, staying healthy is next to impossible for Furcal. Make sure you have a solid backup plan..
9. Juan Uribe, Los Angeles Dodgers: Uribe has 2B/3B/SS eligibility, which makes him a valuable option. He doesn’t score many runs or steal many bases, but he has decent pop and is a solid RBI guy..
10. Alex Gonzalez, Atlanta Braves: Gonzalez hit 23 home runs last year, but struggled (.240-27-6-38-0) in 72 games with Atlanta. He’s not your ideal shortstop, but he can give you a boost in home runs and RBI.. .

Click here to enter the 2011 Fantasy Baseball Team Name Contest..
Here’s an early look at the 2011 A.L. Only Shortstop rankings..
1. Elvis Andrus, Texas Rangers: The better shortstops reside in the National League, so there isn’t a clear-cut number one in A.L. Only leagues. I like Andrus because of his ability to score runs and steal bases. He could easily lead A.L. shortstops in both categories..
2. Derek Jeter, New York Yankees: He’s getting older and his numbers did not look like Derek Jeter numbers last year. Still, in that lineup and ballpark, he’s one the A.L.’s top shortstops. Look for his average and home run total to improve this year..
3. Alexei Ramirez, Chicago White Sox: Ramirez quietly joined Tulo and Han-Ram as the only shortstops with at least 80 runs and 70 RBIs last year. He’s been a model of consistency his first three years, and should post another strong line joining Adam Dunn, Paul Konerko, Juan Pierre, Carlos Quentin, and Gordon Beckham in a potent lineup..
4. Yunel Escobar,Toronto Blue Jays: This goes to show you how shallow the position is in the American League. Escobar gives you a little pop and is a decent source for average, runs, and RBI..
5. Jhonny Peralta, Detroit Tigers: Peralta isn’t a sexy pick, but he is a pretty decent RBI guy. He has decent power and no speed. Not an ideal SS option, but he does offer positional flexibility with his 3B eligibility..
6. Asdrubal Cabrera, Cleveland Indians: Cabrera was limited to 97 games last year so it would be easy to overlook him, but he’s the guy who scored 81 runs, drove in 68, and stole 17 bases in 2009..
7. Erick Aybar, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: Aybar’s average dropped from .312 to .253 last year. Still, he managed 22 stolen bases. If he can get on base more often, 30 SBs is not out of reach..
8. J.J. Hardy, Baltimore Orioles: His year with the Twins did not go well. The 50 HRs he combined to hit in 2007 and 2008 are smaller in the rear view mirror, but the potential is there if he can just stay healthy..
9. Alcides Escobar, Kansas City Royals: Another former Brewer SS, Escobar has great stolen base potential. He should hit much better than the .235 he hit last year, as his luck should improve. Most speedsters don’t sport a .266 BABIP..
10. Marco Scutaro, Boston Red Sox: He will likely split time with Jed Lowrie, but should be solid enough in Boston’s potent lineup for A.L. Only leagues...

Click here to enter the 2011 Fantasy Baseball Team Name Contest..
Here’s an early look at the 2011 Shortstop rankings. .
1. Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies: After a .315-89-27-95-11 season Tulo has jumped up to the number one spot. He posted those monster numbers in just 122 games. .
2. Hanley Ramirez,Florida Marlins: Han-Ram is 1-A. He should post a higher SB total than Tulo, but fewer HRs and RBIs. You can’t go wrong either way. .
3. Jose Reyes,New York Mets: Reyes had a modest .282-83-11-54-30 season, but he stayed healthy. With his issues seemingly behind him, he should get back on track in the 110 run/50 stolen base zone. .
4. Elvis Andrus, Texas Rangers: Andrus really had it going on in the first three months hitting .296 with 54 runs, 24 RBIs, and 23 SBs. He finished with respectable numbers (.265-88-0-35-32), but was hampered down the stretch with a hamstring injury. If he can stay healthy, he could challenge Reyes for the lead among shortstops in both runs and stolen bases. .
5. Derek Jeter, New York Yankees: In a down year Jeter still posted a .270-111-10-67-18 line. He doesn’t even need to improve on those numbers to post another solid fantasy year. Of course, as a .314 career hitter, I’m almost certain he improves in that category. continue reading »